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For many, a pickup truck is as much a daily drivable vehicle as it is a tool for getting the job done. How much horsepower and torque a powertrain puts out is a big part of that. Most want enough to get the job done while keeping an eye toward fuel economy.
What’s the difference between horsepower and torque? In simple terms, torque is the pull of the powertrain that gets you off the line from a full stop. Horsepower is what gets you going the speed you want and keeps you there.
Diesel engines tend to have more torque than gasoline-powered engines but have less horsepower. There’s no perfect torque to horsepower ratio. It’s all about which combination works best for you.
The engines on this list have the highest amount of horsepower and are available in 2021 model year pickup trucks in the U.S. See the 2020 horsepower champs by clicking here and the 2020 torque winners by clicking here.
No. 5 (tie) – 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 6.2-liter V8
Photo courtesy of Chevrolet
Seven different engines are available in the 2021 Silverado 1500 range, any of which provides strong payload and towing capabilities. The range-topping gas engine is the real showstopper, however, as the 6.2-liter V8 makes 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are good enough to help the truck deliver a 13,300-pound towing capacity and a 2,060-pound payload rating.
No. 5 (tie) – 2021 GMC Sierra 1500: 6.2-liter V8
Photo courtesy of GMC
Like its Chevy brother, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 has an available 6.2-liter V8 that achieves 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It has a 2,000-pound payload rating and a 11,800-pound trailering capacity.
No. 4 – 2021 Ford F-150: PowerBoost hybrid powertrain
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
430 horsepower
Ford’s brand-new hybrid F-150 hits the market in 2021 and will bring some legitimate power numbers to back up its high-tech fuel system. The PowerBoost hybrid powertrain uses a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with electric motors to produce a strong 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque.
No. 3 (tie) – 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD: 6.6-liter Duramax diesel
Photo courtesy of Chevrolet
445 horsepower
Diesel engines are usually best known for their torque delivery, but Chevrolet is offering a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel in the 2021Silverado 2500 HD that defies the tradition. It makes 445 horsepower and a whopping 910 pound-feet of torque, which allows the Chevy truck to tow up to 18,500 in certain configurations.
No. 3 (tie) – 2021 GMC Sierra 2500 HD: 6.6-liter Duramax diesel
Photo courtesy of GMC
445 horsepower
The engine in the GMC Sierra 2500 HD is the same as in the Silverado 2500 HD. It produces the same 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque from the 6.6-liter Duramax diesel that’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It can tow up to 18,150 pounds.
No. 2 – 2021 Ford F-Series Super Duty: 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
475 horsepower
The 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 that powers the top-of-the-line trucks in Ford’s F-Series Super Duty lineup produces 475 horsepower, but that’s not even the most special thing about it. The Blue Oval has built a diesel engine to dominate the towing and payload wars, and as a result it produces 475 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque.
No. 1 – 2021 Ram 1500 TRX: 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8
Photo courtesy of FCA US LLC
702 horsepower
There’s no competition here. The Ram 1500 TRX is far and away the most powerful truck on the market today – or any other day, for that matter. The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 that powers the 2021 TRX produces 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, and makes the Ram the most powerful and fastest mass-produced truck in the world. All of that power helps the truck deliver an 8,100-pound towing capacity and a zero to 60 mph time of just 4.5 seconds.
